Cushioning draft-gear.



PATENTED FEB. 2l, 1905.

E. HOPKINSON. CUSHIONING DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 7. 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented February 21, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST HOPKINSON, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ANTHONY GREF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CUSHIONING DRAFT-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,964, dated February 21, 1905.

Application led October '7, 1903. Serial No. 176,055.

To all/ r11/wm, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST HoPKINsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at N o.

A Tashington Terrace, in the city of East y shall be the greatest possible variation between the initial and final resistance in the cushioning movement.

According to my invention two operative members are employed, one movable and the other stationary. The movable member is constructed cylindrical in form and somewhat longer than the stationary member, thereby forming a chamber at each end of the stationary member. The movable member is designed to reciprocate upon the stationary member, which latter acts as a piston, the movable member carrying the coupling draw-bar. The stationary member is provided with a channel which connects the chambers at each of `its ends, and in this channel there is located a device independent of. both of said members, but operative by the movable member, which device acts alternately to provide an ample inlet to one chamber, while it acts as a throttling device for the liquid of the other chamber. The apparatus is preferably hermetically sealed by completely lling with liquid the chambers at each end of the stationary member and the channel communicating them.

l shall now describe the device as illustrated i in the drawings embodying my invention and shall thereafter point out my invention in claims. l

Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig.

2 is a vertical section of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view 0f the throttling device removed, and Fig. i is a broken sectional detail showing the relationship of the parts at eXtreme stroke.

The movable member 1 is shown as cylindrical in form, provided with a longitudinal opening 2 on its upper side and with longitudinal flanges 3 and 4 extending laterally. The flanges 3 and 4 are adapted to operate in guidepieces 5 and 6 and support the cylinder throughout its reciprocal movement.

The stationary member 22 acts as a piston and is held in position in the movable member by an arm 7, that is rigidly attached to the sills of the car-body and which forms a rigid abutment whereby the bufling or draft strains are transmitted to the car-body. This abutment in the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings is in form of a yoke or a forked arm and is adapted to embrace an attenuated portion 8 of the piston-stem between two annular flanges 9 and 10 located thereon. These ianges 9 and 10 are also utilized as an abutment for springs 11 and '12, located within the movable member and abutting against a portion thereof, and have the function of exerting a resilient pressure upon such fianges in opposition to the reciprocal movements of the movable member to bring the same to central or normal position. The stationary member is further provided with a longitudinal channel 13. The movable member is constructed somewhat longer than the stationary member, thereby forming chambers 14 and 15 therein beyond the ends of the stationary or piston member, and suitable heads 16 and 17 are provided, one of which carries the d raw-bar 23 and the other a plug 18 closing an orifice (shown in dotted lines) to the interior of the movable member. These heads in the drawings are shown as screwed into the cylindrical movable member and as carrying the bearing-surface for the complete stroke of the piston, which has been found in practice to be a convenient construction. The movable member is also provided with a cover-cap 19, thatis adapted to embrace the abutment-arm 7 and of asuicient length to close the longitudinal opening 2 during the complete reciprocal play of this member. The cap 19 may be made in any manner to permit of ready removal, as bv being made in sections.

'Itis the purpose of this invention to utilize a liquid as an absorbent of the bufiing and draft strains, and for this purpose the movable member is filled with a liquid behind the pistonfaces by means of the opening 2, and the chambers 14 and 15, as well as the channel 13 connecting them, are preferably completely filled with a liquid through the orifice closed by thetapered ofi' at both ends, the tube being leftv open-ended, but preferably terminating' with acom plete tube-section at each end. The tube is located in the channel 13 so as, while it is freely movably therein, it has some frictional engagement with the walls of the channel 1?.

Referring to Fig. 1 and assuming that a draft strain is applied to the draw-bar Q3, this will have the effect of operating the movable member so that the entire face of the head 17 moves toward the open end of the tube 20, expelling the liquid from the compartment 15, which liquid iinds an easy and ample exit from the compartment through the open end of the tube, as well as through the end of the slot 21. As the device moves in this direction the entire face of the 'head 17 finally impinges on the end of the tube 20, closing the open end and causing the remainder of the liquid to.

pass through the graduated end of the slot 21. The further movement of the cylinder in the same direction carries the tube along' with it, thus gradually diminishing the area of the exit from the compartment 15 and correspondingly increasing the resistance to movement. 1t will be observed that the displaced liquid iiows through the tube 2() and -iinds an ample and easy inlet into the opposite compartment 14 through the end of the tube which is now open, as well as through the slot 21. By this means the initial impact meets comparatively little resistance, but the movement of the cylinder 1 is increasingly opposed lby the increased resistance of the liquid due to the progressively-diminished exit-orifice controlled by the movement of the movable member.

lVhat is claimed as new is-H 1. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a member having at each end a liquid-lilled cushioning-compartment, and a displacement member between said compartments, said displacement member being perforated and carryingsuitable th rottling means; said throttling means and said displacement member being relatively movable, and said throttling means being constructed and operating' to throttle the relative movement in either direction of said compartment member and said displacement member.

2. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a member having at each end a liquid-containing compartment, a displacement member, and means for throttling the relative movement in either direction of said members;

said throttling means extending through said displacement member and being movable therewithin, and in communication with both of said liquid-containing compartments.

3. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a member having at each end a liquid-containing compartment, a perforated liquid-displacing member between said compartments, and means for throttling the relative movement in either direction of said members; said throttling means comprising an independently-movable member.

4. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a member containing at its ends liquid-filled cushioni11g-compartments, a piston member between said compartments and having a passage connecting said compartments, means extending through said piston for throttling the relative movement in either direction of piston and compartment member, and means connected to said piston between its ends for controlling the same.'

5. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a member containing at its ends liquid-filled compartments, a piston member working between said compartments and provided with a passage connecting said compartments, means connected to said piston between its ends for controlling the same, and means movable relatively to said piston and to said compartment member, for throttling said passage, to cushion the relative movement of the piston and compartment member in either direction.

6. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a member containing liquid-filled compartments, a piston member working between said compartments and provided with a passage connecting said compartments, and a single member extending through the piston and provided at its ends with means for throttling the movements-of liquid from the compartments through the piston member.

7. An apparatus of the character described,

f comprising a member having at each end a liquid-containingcompartment, a piston member between said compartments and having a head at each end, said piston having a perforation through which the liquid may pass between said compartments, a tubular throttling device within the piston member, and'means con- IOO IIO

nected to said piston memberbetween its ends for controlling the same.

8. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a member having a liquid-containing compartment, a piston member having a perforation through which the liquid may pass from said compartment, and a throttling device of tubular form Within the perforation and also extending into said compartment, and having a plurality of orices; the construction and arrangement being such that by relative movement of said compartment member and said piston one of said orifices may be closed.

9. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a member having a liquid-containing' compartment, a piston member having a perforation through Wbich'the liquid may pass from said compartment, and a throttling device comprising an open-ended tube Within the perforation; said tube extending into said compartment, and conducting the liquid from the compartment into the piston and being movable relative to the piston and to the compartment member, and being closed at its end by an initial relative movement of the piston and the compartment member, and also having in its side an orifice which is gradually closed during continued relative movement of the piston and comportment member.

10. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a member containing liquid-filled compartments, a piston member having a passage connecting said compartments, and a tube extending through said passage and having means for throttling only the outward flow of liquid from each compartment.

11. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a member containing liquid-holding compartments, a piston member having a passage connecting said compartments, and throttling means tubular in form at the opposite ends of the piston member and extending into the compartments; said tubular throttling means servingto conduct the liquid from the compartments into the piston.

12. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a member containing liquid-holding compartments, a piston member having' a perforation connecting' said compartments,

and a throttling member extending through the perforation in the piston member and into said compartments.

13. An apparatus of the character described comprising a stationary member and a liquidcontaining member having' cushioning-chambers therein and an independently-movable member carried by the stationary member and penetrating the cushioning-chambers and throttling the How of the liquid therefrom.

14. An apparatus of the character described comprising a stationary member and a movable member provided with liquid-containing chambers in communication through the stationary member and a throttling device Within such communicating passage and penetrating into the liquid-chambers and having a restricted opening in each chamber.

15. An apparatus of the character described comprising a stationary member and a movable member provided with liquid-containing chambers on either side of the stationary member and in communication with each other through a passage in the stationary member and a tubular movable member provided with a longitudinal slot that penetrates into the liquid-chambers and restricts theiiow of the liquid therefrom.

16. An apparatus of the character described comprisinga stationary member located within a movable member and operating to displace a liquid therein from one side to the other thereof and a throttling means Within the stationary member operated by the movable member to restrict the displacement of the liquid.

17. An apparatus of the character described comprising a stationary double-headed piston Within a liquid-containing cylinder carrying the draft means, a passage through the piston provided with a sliding tube having a longitudinal slot therein and adapted to throttle the pistonpassage.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of October, 1903.

ERNEST HOPKIN SON.

fitnessesz THouAs J. SUarLEss, H. RICHARD WoBsu. 

